At dawn, the east was just beginning to pale, and a golden halo spread across the horizon. Spiritual mist wreathed the outer disciples' courtyard, a spiritual spring murmured, and rich Spiritual Qi filled the air.
Qin Yu had risen early and sat cross-legged in the center of the courtyard. His eyes were lightly closed. As he breathed through his nose and mouth, Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi seemed to be drawn toward him, flowing into his body like little streams.
As his breathing deepened, a faint radiance gradually appeared over his body. His skin shone with a resilient luster, his meridians pulsed, and his Qi and Blood surged like rushing rivers.
Streams of light circled the boy, as though stars were twinkling within him, brightening and dimming with the rise and fall of his breath. The spiritual herbs in the courtyard swayed gently with them, as if drawn by an invisible presence.
The sight soon drew passing disciples to a halt.
"Is that Qin Yu, the one who triggered the phenomenon yesterday?"
"He really is young... and quite delicate-featured."
"Hmph, a phenomenon spiritual root? He doesn't look like it to me."
Whispers rose and fell, and many gazes held suspicion and jealousy.
Just then, a cold laugh broke the silence.
"Heh. So this is all the so-called phenomenon spiritual root amounts to when cultivating."
The crowd immediately parted as Luo Chuan approached with his hands behind his back, his white-and-blue brocade robe snapping in the morning breeze. His expression was arrogant, his gaze sharp, as though he had been born above everyone else.
"A gray spirit root menial actually dares occupy an outer disciple's courtyard and resources. So what if your name was carved onto the spiritual stele?" Luo Chuan sneered, his gaze sweeping across Qin Yu like a blade. "If you truly deserve that title of phenomenon, prove it with strength instead of sitting there putting on an act."
The surrounding disciples' expressions shifted slightly. Quite a few nodded discreetly, clearly agreeing with Luo Chuan.
Someone murmured in agreement, "Senior Brother Luo is right. If his phenomenon spiritual root is just an empty title, this will become a huge joke."
"Exactly. Our outer sect isn't the Gray Spirit District. There's no room here for someone with an undeserved reputation."
Qin Yu slowly opened his eyes. There was no fear on his young face, only composure. He did not rush to argue. He simply stood and said in a young but firm voice:
"If you don't believe it, you can go try the spiritual stele yourself, or ask the Grand Elder in person."
Those words were like flames, setting everyone's emotions alight.
Luo Chuan's sneer deepened, his gaze chilling. "What, do you actually think you have some damned phenomenon spiritual root? Do you dare spar with me?"
Morning light spilled down, and the spiritual spring murmured. A boy and a figure like a heavenly prodigy truly faced off for the first time in the outer disciples' courtyard.
The faint scent of gunpowder was already spreading through the air.
Luo Chuan stared at Qin Yu, his eyes sharp and a mocking smile curling his lips. "Qin Yu, if you really think you have a phenomenon spiritual root, stop relying on the spiritual stele to save face. At the outer disciples' competition in seven days, I'll face you myself and expose this farce before everyone! Do you dare?"
His voice was cold and clear, amplified by Spiritual Qi as it carried throughout the courtyard.
As Luo Chuan finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze abruptly. Even the spiritual mist stalled for half a moment.
The surrounding disciples erupted in an uproar.
"Senior Brother Luo is going to challenge him personally?!"
"He's one of the outer sect's top ten experts!"
"A newcomer who just joined couldn't possibly withstand him, even with a real phenomenon spiritual root, could he?"
Some disciples' eyes filled with gloating. "Heh, now we have a good show to watch."
A few others secretly looked forward to it. "If he really is the child with a phenomenon spiritual root from the legends, he'll definitely give us a huge surprise..."
Qin Yu's small figure stood beneath everyone's gaze, but he did not shrink back. He drew a deep breath and clenched the outer disciple token in his hand, his eyes clear and resolute. "Luo Chuan, aren't you just relying on your lineage's backing? Why wouldn't I dare compete with you? Don't think I'm afraid of you."
His young voice carried stubbornness and an unshakable strength.
Luo Chuan sneered, his eyes full of arrogance. "Very good. I hope you won't cry and beg for mercy when the time comes. And you must hand over every outer sect resource you enjoy to me."
With that, he flicked his broad sleeves and turned to leave, his retreating figure aloof and proud as gusts of spiritual wind swept up around him.
The whispers in the crowd gradually dispersed, and the disciples' gazes settled on Qin Yu. Some held doubt, others contempt, while a few flashed with barely perceptible admiration.
Quiet returned to the courtyard, and morning light fell over the boy. Qin Yu raised his head toward the distant blue-and-gold hall, a silent vow kindling in his heart:
Unless I prove myself with strength, the title of phenomenon will ultimately be nothing but an empty shell.
Night lay heavy. The lights in the outer disciples' district gradually went out, spiritual mist shrouded the valley, and all was silent. Qin Yu sat cross-legged on the stone platform in his new courtyard, Luo Chuan's cold laughter and provocations from that day still echoing in his mind.
Suddenly, familiar footsteps approached.
"Qin Yu."
Zhang Hao's voice was deep and steady. The boy looked up and saw the deacon approaching beneath the moonlight, his white robes stirring and his eyes as profound as the night.
"Deacon Zhang." Qin Yu immediately stood and bowed, his voice young but firm.
Zhang Hao stood before the stone platform with his hands behind his back, gazing at him. "I've heard about Luo Chuan's provocation. Be extremely careful. Don't fall into his trap. Luo Chuan is utterly sinister. With such powerful backing, he should never have appeared in our Cloud-Leveling Hall, much less willingly remained a mere outer disciple. With the Luo Family's background, he could easily have joined one of the Great Yan Continent's five top sects. We deacons and elders have secretly investigated the reason and established that his Luo Family deliberately sent the boy into our Cloud-Leveling Hall. There must be some underhanded plan behind it. So far, the elders of our hall haven't managed to uncover it, nor can they expel him. They can only let him run wild among the outer disciples."
Qin Yu's chest tightened. He was about to speak, but Zhang Hao stopped him with a wave.
"But you needn't panic." Zhang Hao's tone was steady, yet carried an unshakable strength. "Though Luo Chuan ranks among the outer sect's top ten, he is only at Mortal Embryo Realm Greater Accomplishment. You've only just entered the outer sect, but you needn't fear him. With your potential, you can absolutely defeat him."
He paused, his gaze shifting with a trace of encouragement. "You've already cultivated the Mystic Origin Body Tempering Art to its second layer, [Skin Tempering and Sinew Refining]. If you can break through to the third layer, [Qi and Blood Returning to Origin], before the competition, both your physique and Spiritual Qi will undergo a qualitative transformation, enough to confront Luo Chuan head-on."
Qin Yu's eyes burned, his young voice firm. "Deacon Zhang, I'll cultivate with everything I have. I won't disappoint you!"
Zhang Hao nodded slightly and shook his sleeve. Five crystalline, translucent Spirit Stones immediately appeared in his palm. Their radiance was restrained, yet they gave off faint ripples of Spiritual Qi in the night, glittering like stars.
"These are ten high-grade Spirit Stones. If they aren't enough later, I'll give you more. At your current realm, using one each day to supplement your breathing practice will accelerate the gathering of Spiritual Qi and help you enter the true Mortal Fetus Realm sooner. Remember, though Spirit Stones are good, you mustn't be greedy-going too far is as bad as falling short, and will instead damage your meridians."
Qin Yu froze, his eyes growing moist. He solemnly accepted them with both hands, his voice trembling but resolute. "Deacon Zhang, this disciple... will not fail your trust!"
Zhang Hao gazed at him, his voice low and hard as iron. "Remember this well, Qin Yu. If you want to silence the world, there is only one way-defeat them with your own hands in the arena! Shut their mouths with your fists."
With that, he turned and left, his departing figure standing tall as a mountain beneath the moonlight.
Qin Yu gripped those five Spirit Stones tightly, his chest surging and flames kindling in his eyes.
Luo Chuan, I will defeat you in the competition! No matter how powerful your lineage's backing is, I won't be afraid.
The night wind howled and spiritual mist churned. At that moment, a boy's resolve grew firmer, and his steps onto the path of cultivation became steadier.
For several days, Qin Yu shut himself inside the stone house in his courtyard, paying no attention to outside affairs.
The five crystalline, translucent high-grade Spirit Stones rested on the stone platform inside, each giving off faint ripples of spiritual light, dazzling as stars. Qin Yu sat cross-legged, carefully cradled a Spirit Stone in his young hands, pressed it against his Dantian, and drew a deep breath.
At once, the pure Spiritual Qi within the Spirit Stone was drawn out, turning into streams of light that poured into his body like waterfalls.
The world within Qin Yu's body lit up instantly. His meridians were like transparent river channels, and Spiritual Qi surged through them in countless streams of light, charging straight into his sinews, bones, and blood vessels. Every movement came with a rumbling tremor, as though thunder were exploding within his flesh.
On the first day, he breathed in Spiritual Qi. His sinews and bones hummed, and his skin took on a resilient sheen. His meridians trembled violently under the impact, but he gritted his teeth and steadied them.
On the second day, he began to feel his surging Qi and Blood. Every heartbeat was like the pounding of a war drum, shaking his entire body with a boom.
On the third day, a faint ball of light gradually gathered inside him, hovering deep within his Dantian, brightening and dimming with his breath.
"Just one more step..." Qin Yu's eyes were resolute. Sweat dripped from his chin, and his voice was young but ringing.
On the fourth night, all the Spirit Stones were consumed, and brilliant light erupted inside the stone house!
Boom-!
The ball of light within Qin Yu suddenly burst apart, becoming countless fine threads of light that fused with his towering Qi and Blood. His meridians, bones, and flesh were thoroughly illuminated at once. He seemed to become a small sun, dazzling beyond compare.
The stone house's roof was blasted open, and a pillar of light shot skyward, piercing the nine heavens! The spiritual mist instantly evaporated, and the force of it startled the entire outer disciples' district.
Blood Qi churned throughout Qin Yu's body. A crimson phantom faintly appeared behind him-a symbol of his Qi and Blood uniting with Spiritual Qi.
"Qi and Blood... Returning to Origin!"
With that low shout, a tremendous tremor erupted within him! His Qi and Blood surged like rivers, and Spiritual Qi gathered in his Dantian into a true ball of Origin Qi, its radiance blazing and stable. At that moment, his body transformed completely, and he truly stepped into-the Mortal Fetus Realm!
The boy slowly opened his eyes, crimson-gold radiance flickering in his pupils. He raised a hand and gently clenched it. An explosive crack immediately rang through the air like thunder.
"I... broke through!"
His voice was young, yet carried an unshakable confidence and strength.
Outside the stone house, disciples could faintly be seen gathering and whispering. "Is that... Qin Yu's courtyard?"
"What a powerful presence! Could he... have broken through to the Mortal Fetus Realm in just a few days?"
Beneath the moonlight, the boy stood tall and resolute, as though proclaiming to the world: his phenomenon spiritual root was no empty title.
Night lay deep. The pillar of light from Qin Yu's breakthrough shot skyward, illuminating half the outer disciples' district. Many disciples pushed open their doors and looked toward the courtyard where spiritual light raged, their faces filled with shock and disbelief.
"That's... Qin Yu's residence!"
"A newcomer who only joined a few days ago-how could he enter the Mortal Fetus Realm so quickly?!"
"That's simply heaven-defying!"
Discussion boiled over. Awe flickered in some people's eyes, but far more held jealousy and resentment.
Meanwhile, in a courtyard on the other side, a youth stood beneath the eaves with his hands behind his back, his white-and-blue brocade robe stirring in the wind. Spiritual light shone on his face, only making his eyes look colder.
He was Luo Chuan. "Hmph! The Mortal Fetus Realm?"
Luo Chuan sneered, his voice low and edged with sharp coldness. "...So it really is the legendary phenomenon spiritual root. Rumor has it its cultivation speed is terrifying. Unfortunately, what does speed matter? In the end, you've only reached Initial Entry into the Mortal Embryo Realm. And I will never let you grow, much less let you ruin my lineage's plans."
His gaze sharpened, his tone sinister as his voice, amplified by Spiritual Qi, spread through the surroundings. "Qin Yu, at the outer sect competition in seven days, I'll make you kneel in the arena yourself and show everyone-the so-called phenomenon spiritual root is nothing but an empty title! You'd better cultivate faster, or I might accidentally annihilate you outright."
At those words, the outer disciples' district erupted again, and everyone's expression changed drastically.
"Luo Chuan intends to annihilate him outright!"
"Heavens, Qin Yu only just broke through to the Mortal Fetus Realm. How could he possibly be Senior Brother Luo's match?"
"Now there's a good show to watch..."
"You and I both know Luo Chuan has always been a tyrant among the outer disciples, and Qin Yu happens to come from the Gray Spirit District too. Sigh, I hope Qin Yu can hold out when the time comes."
In the courtyard where the spiritual light was gradually receding, Qin Yu slowly concluded his cultivation and opened his eyes, crimson-gold light flickering deep within his pupils.
Hearing the sneering provocation from afar, he showed no fear and merely clenched his fists gently.
The outer disciple token at his chest gleamed coldly beneath the moonlight, as though reminding him: Qin Yu's name would not suffer humiliation.
He murmured in a young but resolute voice, "Luo Chuan, I won't back down. I'll see you in the arena in seven days. If you want me to kneel, come and try."
The night wind howled, and the bamboo grove swayed. From that moment on, the clash between the two youths was set in stone.
The spiritual light gradually dispersed, and silence returned to the courtyard. The stone house's door slowly opened, and Qin Yu walked out.
The night breeze brushed gently past, and the heavens were deep and boundless. Stars filled the sky like countless billions of lamps, studding the endless curtain of night and twinkling with ancient, mysterious light.
Qin Yu tilted his head back, his young face illuminated with particular clarity beneath the starlight. His chest was still rising and falling, and his breath carried the lingering heat of his breakthrough, yet his gaze gradually grew calm.
Mother...
He called softly in his heart, tenderness and determination flashing in his eyes.
Mother endured countless hardships to send me to Cloud-Leveling Hall, suffering toil and worry all along the way... Although I've become an outer disciple now, I'm not completely confident about facing Luo Chuan.
The boy clenched his fists tightly, veins standing out on the backs of his hands as he lightly gritted his teeth.
But I can't back down! I have to fight for my pride! If I lose my first battle in the outer sect, people won't just mock the supreme spiritual root as an empty reputation-I'll have no place left among the outer disciples!
Starlight reflected in his eyes, his young pupils gleaming like fire.
"Mother..." he murmured. Though his voice was quiet, it held determination and an unshakable resolve. "Please rest assured. Yu'er will never let others look down on him, and I won't disappoint you."
The night sky was silent. Only the stars twinkled, as though answering the boy's vow.
At that moment, a young figure quietly grew beneath the sky full of starlight, his resolve becoming as hard as steel.